Product Description

Frank Gehry has exploded the landscape of modern architecture transforming it from a conventional science into a sublime and majestic form of art. Rebelling against the status quo Gehry's struggle to create the impossible has resulted in such contemporary masterpieces as the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the stunning Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao Spain. Beginning with rough sketches then moving to models made of cardboard and tape Gehry's genius transforms steel titanium and glass into the most heart-stopping structures the world has ever seen. Directed by his longtime friend and supporter Academy Award®-winner Sydney Pollack (1985 Best Director Out of Africa) the fascinating SKETCHES OF FRANK GEHRY looks inside the mind of the most acclaimed and controversial architect of the twenty-first century.SPECIAL FEATURES: Q & A with director Sydney PollackSystem Requirements:Running Time 84 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: PG-13 UPC: 043396155190 Manufacturer No: 15519

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5650 in DVD
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2006-08-22
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 84 minutes

Amazon.com
Sketches of Frank Gehry by Sydney Pollock chronicles the friendship between director Sydney Pollock and the famed architect every bit as much as it does Gehry and his work, and it makes for a delightful window into the world of creativity and genius. Gehry has made a big imprint (which critics might liken to Bigfoot's) on architecture at the turn of the 21st century; his molten-looking visions have graced buildings small (actor Dennis Hopper's industrial-looking home in Venice, Calif.) to enormous (the sprawling Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain). He's the genius behind Los Angeles's sweeping Walt Disney Concert Hall--which, though formidable in shape and size, manages to nod gracefully to its adjoining, beloved predecessor, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. (He also created the controversial Experience Music Project museum in Seattle, which residents have likened to a giant psychedelic beetle crouched at the foot of the Space Needle.)

For creating such mega-structures, Gehry is remarkably self-effacing; as he and an associate fiddle with a model with bent rooflines and walls, Gehry chuckles, "That is so stupid-looking, it's great!" Yet make no mistake, he possesses a singular vision and strong ego, which we view not only through the wide variety of his works, but also from interviews with friends, architecture critics, and clients, including artist Ed Ruscha, Hopper, L.A. talent manager Mike Ovitz, architect Philip Johnson, and others. Pollock's intimate conversational film allows us to feel as though we're sitting right there on the couch with them, or in Gehry's "factory" of associates and assistants; in its backstage look at the process of creativity, the film feels a little like TV's Project Runway, in the very best sense. As the viewer gets to know Gehry, one finds oneself wishing for more biographical details to be fleshed out--what was Gehry's childhood really like, for instance, and how does he feel about having changed his birth name, Goldberg, at the request of his first wife? Still, for a peek into the world of one of America's most prolific artists, the film is a rare opportunity to get up close and personal. Extras include more conversations between Pollock and Gehry and further examinations of his creations. --A.T. Hurley

Customer Reviews

Two Icons, One DVD
I believe Syd Pollack is the premier moviemaker of my generation. I believe Frank Gehry is one of the Top 3 architects of this period. My interest in architecture/film led me to see this documentary more for the Pollack influence than for Gehry. But, I also have a very close friend who is friends with the Pollack's AND had a relationship with Gehry on previous boards in the 80s. AND, his art collection includes a "fish lamp" in his living room. Spellbound by the story of being offered over $100,000 for this, this, LAMP, I felt it was time to explore Gehry's work in more depth, a two for one.

This DVD is not for commercial sucess, it is a labor of love between two friends. Pollack has no reason to do this other than a love and appreciation for another artist. And Gehry has no reason to be so forthcoming and delve back into his life except to satisfy his friend. So what this becomes is just an open discussion between friends centered around architecture and career.

I must now admit that I am not a large fan of Gehry's architecture. It is too abstract for me. I prefer balance and clean lines and Gehry is about creation and a unique thought process. But I can appreciate the artistry even if it is not my favorite artwork.

This is an important DVD and should be watched as it is a reflection of American artistry from 1960 forward by two masters. But more so, two years later, due to the passing of Syd Pollack, a true legend of a film director. So I am touched and grateful for having watched this shortly before Pollack's death and having also sent this DVD to two other friends to watch and discuss and enjoy the work of Gehry. But also for one more reason: Gehry late in the DVD describes his fascination with the body of a fish and Pollack flashes pictures of the many buildings with unique structure which you can now clearly see are designed like a fish. But it all started with an unattractive lamp......

I know one when I see one
Outside Ayn Rands The Fountainhead, I knew nothing of architecture. After watching Sketches of Frank Gehry by Sydney Pollack, I still know nothing of architecture save identifying a Gehry building when I see one. I bought the movie because I'm a Sidney Pollack fan but frankly, I thought the movie was a bit narcissistic. This was not the typical Pollack depth and/or quality.

Why only DVDs and books?
The DVD is fine. But I would like to know why Amazon out restrictions to send other products to Brasil.